Researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology have created the world's first rechargeable 'proton' battery. Its characteristic is the replacement of expensive and scarce lithium materials with cheap carbon and water. Engadget explained that this battery It is essentially a 'mixture' of hydrogen fuel cells and chemical batteries. When charging, the water will be separated to produce protons, and then cross the cell membrane to combine with the carbon electrode. Most critically, this process is not producing hydrogen. Completed under the circumstances.
When it is necessary to release stored energy, hydrogen atoms will fall off and revert back to an electron form - electrons can provide energy, and (hydrogen) protons can combine with oxygen (and another electrode) to generate water.
In fact, not producing hydrogen is the most compelling place for this breakthrough! Traditional fuel cells must produce hydrogen and then break it down into protons, but this process will reduce the overall efficiency.
New technology allows proton batteries to not produce hydrogen, so it is more efficient.
Prof. John Andrews, the project's chief researcher, said that this technology is expected to be commercially available within 5 to 10 years. By then, it could become the basis of Powerwall's home energy storage system, even as a backup for solar/wind energy.